Customer Reviews

Damn the Torpedoes

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once upon a time, long before middle age and Traveling Wilburys and Full Moon Fever, decades before the annoying David Spade caricature, a youthful Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers rocked with breathtaking passion and talent. They came fully into their prime with this recording, bursting into the public eye in November of 1979 with a performance of "Refugee" on Saturday Night Live. Blown away, I was at the record store the next day to buy this amazing album.

This is the finest recording made by the band, and the obvious choice for anyone who wants to buy their first Tom Petty CD. Some may prefer a greatest-hits package, but these songs were meant to be heard together, to flow as an album. Some may prefer the older mellower acoustic-guitar-strumming Petty, and that Petty has continued to make excellent music. But to buy Full Moon Fever first would be a bit like buying Springsteen doing The Rising instead of Born to Run, or Dylan doing Love and Theft instead of Blonde on Blonde. There are graceful comebacks, and then there is youthful creativity with passion and sometimes genius - Damn the Torpedoes is the latter.

This album contains everything you need to know about the band at its best. The stripped-down sound (more polished than garage rock, but just as vital), Petty's voice going from whines to raspy growls to scathing Dylanesque bitterness, evocative lyrics that take the listener through every possible emotion in 3 minutes, that 12-string Rickenbacker on the cover photo with the singer as skinny as I was back then, Mike Campbell's Chuck Berry-esque guitar solos, a driving rhythm section. Tom Petty would never come back to rock like this again. He's done music that's arguably as good, but rarely as consistent, and never with such blazing energy and gutsiness.

It would be easy to praise song after song in detail, but the bottom line is that this is indeed the quintessential Tom Petty album, every song a gem, the singer and his band at their youthful peak.

Those who thought that Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were punk or new wave when they started releasing albums in the late 1970s were missing the point. At a time when heavy metal and guitar rock was dominating the airwaves, this was a group that harkened back to the sounds of the British Invasion and embodied the spirit of the great American garage band. Petty wrote the songs that remind you of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, and the Heartbreakers provided the backing. The group recorded a couple of early albums with Shelter records and started off as bigger hits in England than in the U.S. and then Shelter got gobbled up by MCA, which did not sit well with Petty. There were the first of many legal tangles between the two and "Damn the Torpedoes" was the result of a settlement. Released on an MCA subsidiary, Backstreet, the title was clearly a shot across the bow of MCA and their fight would be continued.

Despite the legal wrangler and creative disputes, this 1979 album would be the definitive release for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, combining some old songs from his early days in L.A. playing with Mudcrutch with some new songs. It was certainly the group's breakthrough effort, both a critical and commercial success. The album made it to #2 on the Billboard charts on the basis of a trio of strong songs. The opening track, the Top 20 "Refugee," written by Petty and Mike Campell," shows the deft touch of producer Jimmy Iovine, who put Benmont Tench's organ playing up front with the vocals. The song contrasts nicely with another Petty-Campbell hit, the melancholy but melodic "Here Comes My Girl." Add to this the album's one Top 10 hit, "Don't Do Me Like That," another song of love and deception, with another great organ solo from Tench.

The common denominator on these songs is their basic simplicity. A Tom Petty song is almost always based on just a few chords. Musically, these are very tight songs, which speaks to the heart of their appeal, and credit must be paid to Iovine's role as producer on this album. Lyrically the dominating theme is one of the pain of relationships and the tone is almost relentlessly melancholy, like on "Even the Losers." Even a ballad like "Louisiana Rain" wallows in the sadness of pain. The result is one of the best rock albums of the 1970s and although Tom Petty came close to this level again with "Hard Promises," "Full Moon Fever," and "Wildflowers," this remains the album you find on the top of the mountain.

I was 13 years old when I first heard this album and I am nearly 39 now , hence for 2/3rds of my life, this album has been part of the essential soundtrack (along with of course 'Cheap Trick at Budokan'. It sounded phenominal in 1978; as relevant in its lyrics in 88; hadnt dated by 1998; and is gauranteed to still be in my CD player in 2008. Yes, sure there has been other albums, compilations of TP, his wanderings with Stevie Nicks, Travelling Wilburys, and Bob Dylan. Tom Petty however managed to do everything perfect on this album and all the songs are etched into my memory cells, every song passed the test of time, and every one a classic. This album is an ideal first album to buy of Tom Petty's given that all the songs are instantly likeable rock classics. Dont not be put off by the 'leather jacket and pink shirt look' on the cover, this was after all released in 1978. Perfect album for the youth to the youth at heart.

Not only is this my favorite release from Tom Petty, this is one of my favorite releases from any artist, ever. I have been listening to this album/cassette/CD ever since it was originally released and I have and never will get tired of it. In addition to the songs that were radio staples back in thier day, every other song on this release is just as good. My personal favorites are Even The Losers, You Tell Me and Louisiana Rain. If you like good ol' rock and roll and haven't heard this, pick it up, you won't be disappointed,if you already have it and know what I'm talking about, get yourself a copy of the remastered version and if your looking to get into Petty and aren't sure where to start, this is definitely the place.

Damn the Torpedoes (1979) was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers third album, and it just so happened to be their breakthrough. While both 1976's Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and 1978's You're Gonna Get It did respectively, Petty and the Heartbreakers hadn't had a major hit until Refugee from Damn the Torpedoes hit the airwaves back in 79. Once Refugee hit the radio and became a hit, the album became a hit as well. With such classics as Refugee, Even the Losers, Here Comes My Girl, Don't Do Me Like That, Lousiana Rain, and What are You doin in My Life, Damn the Torpedoes remains one of classic rocks finest albums, and Petty's best early album.

Before DTT, Petty was kind of a hit or miss character. With this album, his music takes on a more mature and more profound flavor that would remain for the next several decades. The album starts so incredibly strong though, with the sheer brilliance of "Refugee" (It don't make no difference to me/Everybody's had to fight to be free) that sometimes feels unsustainable. However, "Even the Losers" and "Complex Kid" are gems in their own right.
The album just is too strong to give it anything less than 5 stars. I like to think of this period in Petty's career as representing a kind of stonier, dreamier version of Springsteen, like Bruce trading his hardcore Jersey desperation for some serious southern dreaming.

This album is more than just Tom Petty's best album (which is REALLY saying something by itself). The tremendous obstacles he overcame to not only make this album but actually get it out, are unbelieveable--the courts, the filing for bankruptcy, the hiding of the tapes to avoid confiscation by the courts or the record company, the mission to truly damn the torpedoes and go full steam ahead regardless of the outcome, to go for broke,the refusal to say "I give"-- the refusal to live like a refugee,and instead stand up for his rights and never back down. And he came out of this, with the Heartbreakers, smelling like roses, with the world his oyster.
It seems that when artists are undergoing the greatest turmoil, well, the cliche is true-- they produce their best work. It's certainly here! The fighting spirit in Tom Petty infuses this album with SO MUCH; even the love song hit on here, Here Comes My Girl, tells the world to SHOVE IT!!! The anger is there, but the music rises above it all. Even the Losers is one of the greatest songs of all time in my mind--I've felt that for a long time. His best song, definitely. (The Wild one,Forever is his greatest Lost song). Don't Do Me Like That doesn't have as much punch as the Mudcrutch original, but it's still awesome. I often will rave about a song or album in basic terms, but I ain't no critic--I'm a rock 'n' roll FAN. This album is a must for all rock 'n' roll fans, and the perfect place to start your Tom Petty collection with (and what self-respecting rock 'n' roll fan has no Tom Petty in his collection? Come ON!) Shadow Of A Doubt--what a great song! (best version is the '86 Bridge benefit, but this is still fantastic). The production on this album is so fantastic,great guitar sound, really close and intimate vocals, and with tremendous drum sound of the mighty Stan Lynch (ain't been The Heartbreakers since he left; not really.) Tom Petty's best. His creative watershed. His breakthrough--THEIR breakthrough album. Get it!

This is simply the greatest American rock album of all time. These songs capture such honesty and emotion that you will find that Tom Petty is a timeless songwriter that will be with us forever.

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers' Damn The Torpedoes (1979) plays almost like a greatest hits album. In fact, four of the nine songs here are on their greatest hits compilation, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits. Refugee, Here Comes My Girl, Even The Losers and Don't Do Me Like That all made it onto TP&H GH. And deservedly so! They're all classic.

The songs from Damn The Torpedoes that didn't make it onto TP&H GH are somewhat overshadowed by those that did. Shadow Of A Doubt (A Complex Kid), You Tell Me and the closing ballad, Louisiana Rain, are all very good in their own right, and they maintain the classic Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers standard and style. That style is an original blend of punk rock, folk rock and southern rock.

Damn The Torpedoes is bursting with energy, enthusiasm and streetwise idealism. Here Comes My Girl is a love song that rocks. The singer finds refuge in love, when the world is closing in on him.

Yeah man, when I got that little girl standing right by my side,
You know, I can tell the whole wide world, SHOVE IT! Hey!
Here comes my girl, here comes my girl,
Yeah, she looks so right, she is all I need tonight.

Petty sings it like he means it, too, with conviction and soul. I think it's one of his best songs, and a great vocal performance. There are plenty of electric guitar works on the album, too, with Petty himself, and capable lead guitarist Mike Campbell. Every Tom Petty fan already has this one, so I don't need to say anything more to them, but to casual fans and others:
Recommendation for DAMN THE TORPEDOES...DAMN RIGHT!

Take a look at the album cover. That is one iconic shot of Tom Petty who, along with his band of Heartbreakers had started to take the music world by storm, not with something new but a good dose of the familiar melded with a good dose of their youthful exuberance, chiming guitars, and rocking attitude. Through an era known for disco, new wave, hard rock and punk, Petty's music sounded like a refreshing change and holds up, to this day alot better than any trend from 1979.

There is not a bad track on this album from perhaps their most enduring signature tune, "Refugee" to the great closing ballad "Lousiana Rain". In between you get the dreamy surrealism of "Even The Loosers", The catchy organ driven top 10 hit "Don't Do Me Like That", flat out rock and roll spirit of "Century City", "Complex Kid", "What are Your Doing In My Life", the melodic "Here Comes My Girl" and off course, "You Tell Me".

Simply some great rock and roll with southern tinge, spirited vocals chanelling punk and new wave but never straying far from the rock and roll and the bands roots, firmly planted in the 60's.

As the album reads almost like a Greatest Hits collection, it is by far the album to get if you enjoyed the Greatest Hits because you don't get better TPATHB as this, some albums come close, none are poor, yet none better this here one.